Overview information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be found in the links section at the bottom of this page.
"In looking at the strengths of students labeled as ADHD, it may be useful to first consider why the genes for ADHD are still in the gene pool. There is some evidence that ADHD traits actually fulfilled an important function in prehistoric times: An individual out in the wild need to have relatively quick motor activity (hyperactivity) in order to forage for food, find shelter quickly, and attend to other important tasks. He also needed to rapidly shift his attention from on stimulus to another (distractibility), so that he could scan the environment for signs of predators and other potential threats. Finally, he had to be able to respond quickly to his instincts (impulsivity) in order to meet whatever threats he encountered from animals, humans, weather, or other dangers (Jensen et al., 1997). It's entirely possible that people who had ADHD genes were more likely to survive and pass their genes on to subsequent generations. One contemporary writer, Thom Hartmann, has suggested that kids with ADHD are actually hunters in a farmer's world (Hartmann, 1997). In many ways, the conventional classroom caters to the "farmers" of the world. The behaviours necessary for being a successful farmer - staying in one place, being patient, and focusing on the job at hand - are also associated with successful learning in a traditional classroom setting. That task for educators then, is to figure out how to create environments for children with ADHD that make use of the talents of the "hunter" without turning the classroom in to a jungle!" (Armstrong, 2012, pp. 50-51).
The unique needs of a student with ADHD require us to think about regulation differently. We need to tailor learning environments and activities to increase attention and regulation. Students with ADHD will require a higher level of stimulation than their peers. Learning needs to be exciting, include animation, action or movement, have embedded choices and provide for immediate feedback (Armstrong, 2012, p. 54).
In the Social Domain, students with ADHD will require interpersonal supports as many find social interaction challenging. Adults in the student's life should act as "coaches" supporting the student to "set goals, stay motivated, and reflect on work that they've completed" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 55). The goal of self-regulation is for a student to do for himself so we need to remember to stand back and not give constant reminders to the student. When the student is having difficulty, we should help them to "generate practical strategies for managing time effectively, developing study skills, and engaging in problem-solving behaviours" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 55).
One strategy that could hold a lot of promise related to regulated learning for students with ADHD would be that of Check, Connect and Expect (CCE) coaches. "CCE intervention include the following: (a) students checking in and out daily with adult mentors, (b) students receiving Daily Progress Reports (DPRs) from mentors, (c) teachers providing behavioral feedback to students throughout the day on DPRs, (d) mentors holding problem-solving sessions with students when they did not meet daily goals, (e) students receiving feedback from mentors at check-out about whether daily behavior goals were met, (f) mentors charting and reviewing DPR data weekly, and (g) mentors using charted data to reinforce students when they met daily and weekly goals" (Cheney, Stage, Hawken, Lynass, Mielenz, & Waugh, 2009).
Strength-based learning strategies support student regulation. Students with ADHD often have strengths related to "vitality, divergency, spontaneity, playfulness, imagination and curiosity" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 56). Armstrong, 2012, has compiled the following list of learning strategies that support regulated learning for students with ADHD:
have high emotional content
allow for creativity in learning process and final product
activate the child's imagination
use humor
provide immediate feedback
relate content to their personal life
utilize novel situations
involve frequent "state changes" (eg. sitting, then standing, then group work, then individual work)
deliver content in short, dynamic segments
select learning activities that involve physical movement (e.g. standing up on vowels and sitting down on consonants to learning spelling words)
provide hands-on learning activities (e.g., making a three-dimensional relief map to learn about geography)
use color to highlight learning content (e.g., emphasizing vowel digraphs by coloring them red)
teach self-talk skills (e.g., "If I get stuck on a test question, I'll come back to it later.")
teach physical relaxation skills to focus and discharge energy (e.g. yoga, progressive relaxation, deep breathing)
use guided imagery to teach lessons (e.g., take students on an imaginary journey through the digestive system in science class)
give instructions in attention-grabbing ways (e.g. pantomime a four-step procedure for long-division)
play appropriate background music through individual earphones while the students study
provide student with choices (e.g., a range of possible reading materials)
establish consistent rules, routines and transitions
offer students real-life tasks to complete (e.g., watering the plants, serving as playground monitors, maintaining art supplies) (pp. 56-58)
Environmental modifications will also support regulated learning. There is evidence that "when students with ADHD are placed in a 'green environment' - that is, outdoors, where they can play and move around - their symptoms become less pronounced; and the wilder the environment (a forest, say, as opposed to a park), the more their symptoms are alleviated (Kuo & Tayolor, 2004)" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 60). It may not be possible for students to spend all of their learning time in a "green" environment but when working with a student with ADHD there are ways to integrate "green" experiences in to their learning. These include
Hold science classes outdoors, where students might study weather patterns, pollution, bird behaviours, insect habitats, and other natural phenomena.
Take field trips to outdoor place (e.g., zoos, parks)
Provide a strong physical education program that is held outdoors as much as possible
Tell students to run around the school building a few times before class
Encourage students to walk or bike to school whenever possible
Engage students in a school wide gardening project
Make sure the students with ADHD spend recess out in the playground (and not indoors making up missed homework or school assignments) (Armstrong, 2012, pp. 60-61).
Opportunities for movement can also be provided indoors. This can be done by allowing a student with ADHD to move freely between two work spaces when working in class, giving them jobs to do that involve movement (like watering plants or deliveries), allowing use of a standing desk, using ball chairs...etc. Other ideas to incorporate movement include:
place a rocking chair in a corner of the classroom
keep a mini-trampoline in a walled-off corner of the classroom
give students squeeze balls to release tension
let students act out vocabulary
have student role-play or perform mini-dramas of literacy or historical scenes
integrate skill-related games that involve movement (e.g., Simon Says) into the school day
introduce "movement breaks" during which students do calisthenics for one or two minutes
allow students to quietly stand at the back of the room when they need to move
create simulations in the classroom (e.g., turn the class space into a "rain forest" or "medieval castle) (Armstrong, 2012, p. 62).
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Briefing Sheet"This sheet provides initial information about ADHD for those who want a brief introduction. It provides references to some key texts about the condition."(Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Classroom Support Sheet"This sheet provides ‘must have’ basic information about ADHD for staff newly needing to work with a young person who has Autism." (Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Information Sheet"This sheet is for those who would like to follow up the topic of ADHD in greater depth. This sheet provides more information with further references."(Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project)
Overview information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be found in the links section at the bottom of this page.
"In looking at the strengths of students labeled as ADHD, it may be useful to first consider why the genes for ADHD are still in the gene pool. There is some evidence that ADHD traits actually fulfilled an important function in prehistoric times: An individual out in the wild need to have relatively quick motor activity (hyperactivity) in order to forage for food, find shelter quickly, and attend to other important tasks. He also needed to rapidly shift his attention from on stimulus to another (distractibility), so that he could scan the environment for signs of predators and other potential threats. Finally, he had to be able to respond quickly to his instincts (impulsivity) in order to meet whatever threats he encountered from animals, humans, weather, or other dangers (Jensen et al., 1997). It's entirely possible that people who had ADHD genes were more likely to survive and pass their genes on to subsequent generations. One contemporary writer, Thom Hartmann, has suggested that kids with ADHD are actually hunters in a farmer's world (Hartmann, 1997). In many ways, the conventional classroom caters to the "farmers" of the world. The behaviours necessary for being a successful farmer - staying in one place, being patient, and focusing on the job at hand - are also associated with successful learning in a traditional classroom setting. That task for educators then, is to figure out how to create environments for children with ADHD that make use of the talents of the "hunter" without turning the classroom in to a jungle!" (Armstrong, 2012, pp. 50-51).
The unique needs of a student with ADHD require us to think about regulation differently. We need to tailor learning environments and activities to increase attention and regulation. Students with ADHD will require a higher level of stimulation than their peers. Learning needs to be exciting, include animation, action or movement, have embedded choices and provide for immediate feedback (Armstrong, 2012, p. 54).
In the Social Domain, students with ADHD will require interpersonal supports as many find social interaction challenging. Adults in the student's life should act as "coaches" supporting the student to "set goals, stay motivated, and reflect on work that they've completed" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 55). The goal of self-regulation is for a student to do for himself so we need to remember to stand back and not give constant reminders to the student. When the student is having difficulty, we should help them to "generate practical strategies for managing time effectively, developing study skills, and engaging in problem-solving behaviours" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 55).
One strategy that could hold a lot of promise related to regulated learning for students with ADHD would be that of Check, Connect and Expect (CCE) coaches. "CCE intervention include the following: (a) students checking in and out daily with adult mentors, (b) students receiving Daily Progress Reports (DPRs) from mentors, (c) teachers providing behavioral feedback to students throughout the day on DPRs, (d) mentors holding problem-solving sessions with students when they did not meet daily goals, (e) students receiving feedback from mentors at check-out about whether daily behavior goals were met, (f) mentors charting and reviewing DPR data weekly, and (g) mentors using charted data to reinforce students when they met daily and weekly goals" (Cheney, Stage, Hawken, Lynass, Mielenz, & Waugh, 2009).
Strength-based learning strategies support student regulation. Students with ADHD often have strengths related to "vitality, divergency, spontaneity, playfulness, imagination and curiosity" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 56). Armstrong, 2012, has compiled the following list of learning strategies that support regulated learning for students with ADHD:
Environmental modifications will also support regulated learning. There is evidence that "when students with ADHD are placed in a 'green environment' - that is, outdoors, where they can play and move around - their symptoms become less pronounced; and the wilder the environment (a forest, say, as opposed to a park), the more their symptoms are alleviated (Kuo & Tayolor, 2004)" (Armstrong, 2012, p. 60). It may not be possible for students to spend all of their learning time in a "green" environment but when working with a student with ADHD there are ways to integrate "green" experiences in to their learning. These include
Opportunities for movement can also be provided indoors. This can be done by allowing a student with ADHD to move freely between two work spaces when working in class, giving them jobs to do that involve movement (like watering plants or deliveries), allowing use of a standing desk, using ball chairs...etc. Other ideas to incorporate movement include:
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